Fashionably Early Princess

Plant Description

This whole series, developed by the Hans Hensen team at Walters Garden, is among the best of the ‘new phlox’, and they will grow perfectly well nearly everywhere in the country. Those of you in southern and very hot climates, don’t give up on Phlox until you’ve tried the ‘Fashionably Early’s! (Also available here at the nursery are the ‘F.E’s ‘Crystal’, ‘Flamingo’ and ‘Lavender Ice’)

The color is a mauvey-pink, and as the flowers age, you will see a graceful and pleasing range of shades which is, to my eye, more attractive than a static mat of solid color. It looks a little bit old-fashioned. At 28-32” tall, it usually belong in the middle of the border, where it will make strong splashes of color, and I recommend it as a repeating element that blends well with other flowers. Most borders experience a lull in June color, and ‘F.E.Princess’ and the others in the series will give the border great blending color just when it is needed.

This series has superb mildew resistance, due to the hybrid parentage, combining the large flowers of P. paniculata with the vigorous and glossy foliage of other spring-blooming native Phlox. This also gives it a stoloniferous habit, so it will steadily expand much more than the usual P.paniculata. They are also renowned for a long season of heavy bloom, from late May well into June, here in Vermont. ‘F.E.Princess’ is supposed to be the very first of the series to bloom in the spring.
PP28620. Photos courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

This phlox description is here for reference only, and the plant is not currently available for mail-order shipping. However it may be available potted-up for on-site sales at the nursery, or with advance notice.